Return to the Gospel Pt. 18 (Short)

Good afternoon Church and welcome to Part 18 of our series on Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “Return to the Gospel.”

Allow me to begin this afternoon with a question. Did you know that over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube — every single minute? Not every hour. Every minute. To put that into perspective, it would take 82 years to watch all the videos uploaded to YouTube in just one day.

And it’s not just what’s being uploaded — every single day, it’s what’s being consumed. People around the world watch over 1 billion hours of video on YouTube alone. And that’s not counting TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Netflix, or any other platform.

Beloved this shows that we are living in one of the most information-saturated moments in all of human history. And the reality is that not all of that information is harmless. And because of all of this information flooding our screens every single day — whether it’s political, whether it’s entertainment, whether it’s the news. We are being fed a constant diet of misinformation, half-truths, and outright lies.

And this doesn’t just affect us in our daily lives — it affects us in our theological lives. Because false doctrines and false teachings are also flooding those same screens just as fast. The same phone that shows you the news is showing you someone’s theology. The same platform that entertains you is shaping what you believe about God, about Scripture, about eternity.

False teaching is nothing new — the Bible from the Gospels through Revelation is filled with warnings against it. But here’s what’s different today: in the first century, false doctrine had to travel. A teacher had to go city to city. It was slow. It was local. Today? False theology doesn’t need a plane ticket. It’s already on our phones.

I remember a man approaching me some years ago, genuinely excited about a TV show called Lucifer. As we talked, I realized that this guy wasn’t just being entertained — he was being informed by it. He was shaping his understanding of the enemy based on a TV character. That’s exactly how it works. False beliefs don’t always come as a loud, obvious attack. They come quietly, through the content we consume every day, slowly reshaping what we believe.

That’s the world our faith lives in. And that’s exactly what Paul was confronting in Corinth. A false theology was taking root, threatening to pull believers away from the truth. So, Paul writes this letter to name that danger and anchor them back in what is true. Because the church at Corinth was in danger — and so are we today. And the truth is that the danger hasn’t diminished. It has actually increased.

1 Corinthians 15:12–20 NASB 2020

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (V13-14) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. (V15-16) Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; (V17-18) and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (V19-20) If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied. But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

I. The Danger Facing the Church (V12)

1 Corinthians 15:12 NASB 2020

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Paul opens V12 with a question that cuts to the heart of the problem. There was a false theology circulating within the church at Corinth — not from the outside but from within. These were people who had heard the gospel, believed it, received it — however they were now saying there is no resurrection of the dead.

They weren’t denying the resurrection of Christ. They believed that. But somewhere along the way a dangerous idea had taken root — that while Christ rose, we don’t. That resurrection belonged to Jesus alone and not to his people. (This was the false doctrine)

Now, why would they think that? This is where it gets relevant for us today. This was Greek philosophy seeping into the church. In the Greek world, the body was seen as inferior — even corrupt. The soul was what mattered. And for this reason the idea of a resurrection was not a Greek concept. It was a Jewish one. And so some in Corinth began blending their old worldview with their new faith — creating a dangerous hybrid theology.

And that’s exactly what happens today.

1. The world has a way of slowly, quietly reshaping what we believe.

Not always through a direct attack — sometimes through a philosophy, a cultural idea, a way of seeing the world that sounds reasonable until it starts contradicting the Word of God.

Take marriage. The Bible is clear in regards to divorce, God hates it! — and yet those who claim to be born again Christians divorce at virtually the same rate as non-believers: 32% versus 33%. Nearly identical. But researchers found that for those actively engaged in their faith and church community, the divorce rate was 27 to 50 percent lower. Which means that the problem isn’t Christianity — it’s nominal Christianity. People who carry the label while quietly absorbing the world’s values. In fact, those who identify as Christian but rarely attend church have a 60% divorce rate.

And that’s the danger.

2. These false ideas and false doctrines seep into the church — through the content we consume, the culture we absorb, the philosophies we slowly accept.

Until one day we end up believing something very different from what Scripture actually says. We stop being the holy people God called us to be. Because holiness simply means to be set apart. To be different. And all of a sudden you can’t tell the difference between unbelievers and believers.

Paul says — you can’t have it both ways. If Christ has been raised, then resurrection is not only possible — it is certain. You cannot accept the resurrection of Jesus and deny the resurrection of his people. The two stand or fall together. Romans 8:11 confirms it

Romans 8:11 NASB 2020

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The same Spirit that raised Jesus will give life to our mortal bodies.

And Jesus himself tells Martha in John 11:25

John 11:25 NASB 2020

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies,

Which means that His life is the guarantee of our eternal life. And now in verses 13 through 19, Paul doesn’t just tell us the resurrection is possible — he shows us that it is essential. He does this by laying out 7 disastrous consequences of what would be lost if the resurrection were not true. So let’s walk through each one together.

Consequence 1.

3. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

1 Corinthians 15:13 NASB 2020

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised;

Paul’s logic is simple and devastating. If it is impossible for the dead to rise — that would include Jesus. In other words Paul is saying that you cannot claim resurrection is impossible and make an exception for Christ. Either it’s real or it isn’t.

Some Corinthians thought they found a way around this. Coming from a Greek dualistic worldview, they reasoned: “Christ was divine, therefore he couldn’t be truly human. He only appeared to suffer. He only appeared to die.” This view is called Docetism — from the Greek word meaning “to seem.”

But Scripture will not allow this. Jesus was born of a human mother. He ate, drank, wept, bled, and died with a spear in his side. After the resurrection he told his disciples — “Touch me. A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” — and then he ate in front of them. Peter at Pentecost declared Jesus was a man, who was raised from the dead, and that his flesh never saw decay.

Look at the way that Paul opens the book of Romans

Romans 1:1–4 NASB 2020

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, (V3-4) concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

In Revelation, the risen Christ tells John —

Revelation 1:17–18 NASB 2020

“Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

4. Jesus doesn’t say “I appeared to die.” I was dead. Christ was fully human. He physically lived, died, and rose again.

And for this reason Paul says that if physical resurrection is impossible then not even Christ has been raised. And if that’s true, then we have no message.

Which brings us to Consequence #2

5. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:14 NASB 2020

if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain.

6. In other words if there is no resurrection, everything proclaimed from every pulpit in every church around the world is empty.

Worthless. A waste of breath. Because the resurrection is not a footnote to the gospel — it is the gospel. Death. Burial. Resurrection. Remove one piece and it all collapses. Without the resurrection, sin is not defeated, death is not conquered, hell is not overcome. There is no victory to announce, no freedom to offer, no hope to give. The good news becomes no news at all.

Which brings us to Consequence #3

7. If Christ has not been raised, your faith also is in vain

1 Corinthians 15:14 NASB 2020

and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain.

So, not only would preaching be empty — so would our faith. Paul uses the Greek word kenos — empty, fruitless, void of effect.

Beloved the point that Paul is trying to make is that a dead Savior cannot give life. Think about the men and women of Hebrews 11 — Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, David, the prophets. Without the resurrection, that hall of faith becomes a hall of fools. People who were mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, and killed — for nothing.

8. Without the resurrection the life of believers everywhere would have been poured out for a lie.

Which brings us to Consequence #4

9. If Christ has not been raised, every witness to the resurrection would be a liar

1 Corinthians 15:15 NASB 2020

Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.

Now Paul turns the finger on himself and every person who ever declared Jesus rose from the dead. Beloved the point being that if there is no resurrection, they aren’t just mistaken — they are liars. Peter. James. John. Paul himself. Men beaten, imprisoned, and killed for their testimony. All liars

And not just the apostles — but the more than 500 people to whom Jesus appeared at once, most still alive when Paul wrote this. All bearing false witness. Without the resurrection, every sermon, every testimony, every “I serve a risen Savior” — is a fraud fraud. (This past Sunday would’ve been a fraud) The greatest conspiracy of false witness in human history.

Which brings us to Consequence #5 -

10. If Christ has not been raised, all men Would still be in Their sins.

1 Corinthians 15:16–17 NASB 2020

For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

Without the resurrection, every person who ever called themselves a Christian would still be drowning in their sins — no different from the most unbelieving person who ever lived. Jesus said to those who rejected him — “You will die in your sins.” Without the resurrection, that verdict falls on all of us. This gathering would be a waste of our time. We would have no reason to worship.

This would’ve meant that Sin has defeated Christ. And if sin defeated Christ, sin reigns over everyone. This would mean eternal death (because the wages of sin is death) — not just physical, but eternal separation from God. Beloved this would mean Judgment without end. No justification. No adoption. No forgiveness. No sanctification. No glorification. Without the resurrection, Christ saved no one from anything.

Which brings us to Consequence #6

11. If Christ has not been raised, all Who died in Christ have eternally perished.

1 Corinthians 15:18 NASB 2020

Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

Paul now turns to those we buried. Those we grieved. Those we to whom we said “see you on the other side.” He says — if there is no resurrection, you will never see them again. The Greek word is apollymi — not a quiet fading away, but violent, complete, permanent destruction. Utterly and entirely lost. Every Old Testament saint. Every martyr. Every apostle. Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Owen.

Every grandmother who prayed over her family until her last breath — perished. Every father who loved God and served his church faithfully — if there is no resurrection, every single one of them perished in vain. Their faith unforgiven. Their destiny not glory — but damnation.

Which brings us to out last Consequence

12. If Christ has not been raised, christians would be the most pitiable people on earth

1 Corinthians 15:19 NASB 2020

If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.

In Luke chapter 12 Jesus tells a parable about a man whose land produced so abundantly that he didn’t even have room to store it all. So what does the man do?

He said, “I know what I’m goin to do—Im going tear down my all barns… and build bigger ones.” And he kept accumulating… More crops… more storage… more security… And then he said something revealing to his own soul:

“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease. Eat, drink, and be merry.”

In other words—“I’ve made it. My future is secure.” But then Jesus says something that stops the whole story cold:

“You fool… don’t you know this very night your soul is required of you.”

And everything he spent his life building. Everything he trusted in. Everything he thought would carry him. He never got to use it. When you hear that story… what do you feel?

We don’t feel admiration for him. We don’t feel envy towards him. We don’t say, “I want to be like that man.” No—we step back and say: “What a waste.” “What a tragedy.” “What a pity.” A whole life. Spent on something that didn’t matter in the end.

That’s the exact weight of what Paul is saying. If Christ has not been raised. Then Christians are like that man. We’ve oriented our lives around something we believed would carry us into eternity.

We’ve denied ourselves…

We’ve endured suffering…

We’ve reordered our priorities…

But if there is no resurrection then it doesn’t last. It doesn’t matter. It’s all a waste.

And instead of being people to admire we would be people to be pitied.

Because a dead Christ cannot grant peace, cannot bring joy, cannot walk with us through our darkest night. The Christian life without resurrection is not just theologically bankrupt — it is practically empty. A charade. A cruel joke played on people who gave everything. Without the resurrection — we of all people are most to be pitied.

But… That’s the word that changes everything.

1 Corinthians 15:20 NASB 2020

But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Notice what Paul says. Not “Christ might have been raised.” Not “we hope Christ was raised.” Not “it appears that Christ was raised.” The fact is — He has been raised from the dead. This is not a suggestion. This is not a possibility. This is a declaration. A settled, unshakeable, historical reality. And because it is true — everything we said in the negative, we can now be flipped on its head.

13. Because Christ has been raised — our gospel is not meaningless.

Romans 1:16 NASB 2020

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, (Why?) for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

Church, we have the greatest message the world has ever heard. Sin has been defeated. Death has been conquered. Hell will not overcome. The victory is guaranteed. We are free in Christ. And we have the incredible privilege of telling everyone still living in darkness that hope has come — that our Savior is not a memory, not a symbol, not a story. He is alive! The good news are good because the grave is empty.

14. Because Christ has been raised — our faith is not worthless.

1 John 5:4 NASB 2020

For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

Our faith is not wishful thinking. It is not a coping mechanism. It is not a blind leap into the dark. Our faith is certain — anchored in something that actually happened, confirmed by the Word of God and the testimony of history. The faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, David and the prophets — was not misplaced. It was fulfilled in Christ.

And we who are the righteous live by that same faith. Not by our emotions. Not by our feelings. Not by what we see on any given day. We hold on to what we know to be true. And that is that Christ has risen from the dead and we will do too.

15. Because Christ has been raised — every witness to the resurrection is telling the truth.

Sermons preached in his name. Testimonies given confirm what he has done. The words of Peter are true. The words of James are true. The words of John are true. The words of Paul are true. And that is exactly why they were willing to be beaten, imprisoned, and killed for their testimony — because they knew it was true. And last Sunday was not a fraud. We saw the power of God working in a family, bringing people out of darkness and into light. That was real. That was the resurrection power of a living Savior at work right in front of our eyes.

16. Because Christ has been raised — we are no longer in our sins.

Colossians 2:13–14 NASB 2020

And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, (V14) having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Church, Sin has been defeated. And it no longer has the final word over our hearts and our lives. The wages of sin is death — but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. We have been made new. We are no longer under judgment. We have been justified — declared righteous before God. We have been adopted — brought into his family. We have been forgiven — every sin, past, present, and future, covered by his blood. We are being sanctified — transformed day by day into his image. And one day we will be glorified — made complete in his presence forever. All of it. Every single blessing. Made possible by one thing — the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

17. Because Christ has been raised — all who died in him have not perished. They have gone home.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 NASB 2020

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Beloved we will rise again to life! For this reason we do not mourn like the rest of mankind — those who grieve without hope. We mourn with hope. Because we know, as Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians, that our eternity has been secured.

For this reason the grandmother who prayed over her family with her last breath did not pray in vain. The father who loved God and served his church faithfully did not live in vain. The saints of old who gave their lives for the sake of the gospel did not die in vain. Because Christ has risen — and because he has risen, they will rise too. And so will we.

18. And because Christ has been raised — we are not to be pitied. (Tiger Woods / Worth 1.5 Billion - pity)

1 Peter 1:3 NASB 2020

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Don’t pity us. Don’t feel sorry for the Christian. We are not the most miserable people on earth — we are the most hopeful people on earth. We have a hope that cannot be taken. A hope that does not disappoint. A hope that does not expire. A hope that is not shaken by elections, or diagnoses, or loss, or death itself.

We have an eternal, living, resurrection hope — grounded in the fact that the One we placed our faith in walked out of that tomb on the third day, and is seated at the right hand of the Father right now, interceding for us.

The world may look at us and wonder why we have joy in suffering. Why we have peace in the storm. Why we can face death without fear. And the answer is simple. We serve a risen Savior. And because He lives — we will live also.